Refrigeration



H. A. TOULMIN. JR

REFRIGERATION Oct. 19, 1937.

1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19,

/lvl/ENTUR HAR/WA. TaL/M/N, JR. uw j ATTaR/VEYS Qu .SE

Rb luk f Patented Oct. i9, 1937 REFRGERATION Harry A. Toulmin, Jr.,Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Commonwealth Engineering Corporation,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application `luly 19, 1934,Serial No. 736,100

Claims.

My invention relates to refrigeration.

It is the object of my invention to provide a method and apparatus forrefrigeration employing water as a refrigerant, or an emulsion in 5combination with water, as hereinafter specied.

It is a further object to provide a refrigeration method and systemwhich eliminates the use of steam, and other prior types of gases, andsubstitutes therefor a high velocity body of ne lo liquid particles,non-Volatile in character; and

capable of recovery and re-use after use.

It is a further object to provide in combination with the apparatus andmethod of the foregoing paragraph a vacuum pump that will l5 be sealedto improve its vacuum and will be lubricated by the material used as theinjector jet for causing the evaporation of the water in the cold watertank that is being used for the refrigerant.

- It is an object to provide this combination of an injecting apparatusand a vacuum pump so that the vacuum pump will be of such small size asto feasibly and economically and, at the same time, provide for theelimination, when the vac- 26 uum pump is used, of a surface condenser.

It is a further object to provide an emulsion for use with the coldwater circulation system which Will not materially depreciate thecapacity of the water to evaporate, but Will reduce materially thefreezing point of the water thereby eliminating a disadvantage of steam,compressed air and other prior water refrigeration systems in that thetemperature of .the water cannot be reduced below that of its freezingpoint.

It is a` particular object of this invention to provide low temperaturewater withoutV the necessity of running a. steam plant in summer timewhen refrigeration systems are utilized.v

It is further object to provide a system in which the injecting systemcan re-use the material being used in the booster injector Without thenecessity for regeneratingv or resupplying the material.

In the-drawingsz Figure 1 is a diagram showing the application of onephase of this invention, to-wit, the use of a high velocity jet ofliquid or other particles, such as an oil spray or the like to a waterrefrigeration system; i

Figure 2 is an' extension of the application of the features of myinvention illustrating the application of an injector and vacuum pump toa water refrigeration system and the use of an oil recovery system inconnection therewith;

Figure 3 is a section through a combined liquid spray and injectornozzle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the embodiment illustrated inFigure 1, the emulsier I is provided with a make-up oil inlet 2 and a 5make-up water inlet 3. Water and oil supplied by these inlets to theemulsier is emulsied therein and the emulsion is supplied through theemulsion inlet l to the cold tank 6. The emulsion inlet 4 is controlledby the oat controlled 10 valve 5 and is provided at its junction withthe cold tank 6 with spray nozzles, by means of which the emulsion issupplied in spray form to the interior of the cold tank 6. Coolant isremoved from the bottom of the cold tank 6 throughthe l5 coolant outletI and supplied therefrom by means of the pump 8 to the cooling coils 9and from the cooling coils to the coolant return pipe I0, which conveysit back to the emulsier I. The coolant comprises oil and water or thatportion of the 20 emulsion originally supplied to the cold tank 6, fromwhich water vapor has been removed in order to lower the temperature ofthe coolant.

Above theemulsion spray nozzles, the cold tank 6 is provided withscrubber plates or bailles 25 II which are interposed between thesurface of the coolant and the pipe or pipes I2 communieating with theinjector nozzles or sprays I3 (see Figures 1 and 3). 'Ihese sprays aresimilar to those used in Diesel engine practice and com- 30 prise a highvelocity oil spray by which high velocity particles of oil are directedthrough the throat of booster injector casing I4. The pressure to whichthe oil is subjected is from 500 to 4,000 pounds per square inch. Thishigh velocity 35 liquid spray, in passing through the booster injectorcasing, serves to entrap or entrain the water vapor from the surface ofthe coolant to lower the temperature of the coolant in the cold tank 6.The oil spray and water vapor pass to 40 the surface condenser I5, fromwhich the air makes its exit through'the outlet I6 to suitable ejectormeans.

Cooling water enters the surface condenser from the inlet I1 and, afterpassing through the 45 pipes I8, leaves the condenser through the outletI8'. The condensate comprising oil and water is conveyed from thecondenser by the condensate loutlet I9 from the condenser to thecondensate storage tank 20)., From the condensate 50 storage tank 20,the oil and water are removed by the return line 2| having the pump 22inserted therein. This return line joins the coolant return pipe I0,whereby the condensate returned through the return line 2| joins withthe 55 partial vacuum in the vapor passageway 28,`

whereby to induce a iiow of vapor through the passageway 28 to themixing tube 21. This is a modication of the type of injector illustratedin Figure 1.

In the modication illustrated in Figure 2,

the emulsier 3l is provided with a make-up oil inlet 32 and the make-upwater inlet 33. From the emulsier 3l, the emulsion inlet 34 leads to thecooling tower 36. The emulsion inlet 34 is `controlled by the floatcontrolled valve 35 and is provided with spray inlets adapted to spraythe emulsion downwardly upon surfaces of broken crockery or brick workin the cooling tower 38. Coolant from which water vapor has been removedin a manner which will be hereinafter described is removed from thecooling tower 36 through the coolant outlet 31 by the pump -38 whichpumps it into the cooling coils 39, from whence it is returned throughthe coolant return pipe 40 to the emulsiiler I.

For the purpose of removing water vapor from the emulsion sprayed intothe cooling tower 36, the cooling tower is provided with scrubber platesor bailles 4I above the emulsion sprays or jets, 35 and above thesescrubber'plates or bailles the pipe or pipes 42 provide communicationfrom the top of the cooling tower to the injector or spray nozzle ornozzles 43. The injector may be either of the form illustrated in Figurel or the formv illustrated in Figure 3. The oil supply for the injector43 comprises the pipe 45 leading from the oil storage tank 44 to thehigh pressure oil pump 46 which is connected by-means of the valve 41with the accumulator 48. High pressure oil accumulated in theaccumulator passes through the valvecontrolled injector oil inlet 49 tothe injector 43. From the injector 43,` the oil land entrained waterVapor pass through the injector outlet 50 to the vacuum pump 5| and 50thence through the vacuum pump outlet 52 to the oil and water separatortank v53. In this tank, the-oil and water are separated andthe oil isconveyed through the oil outlet 54 to the oil storage tank 44, while thewater may be removed 55 therefrom through the water outlet 55. Air mayescape from the oil and water separator tank 53 through the air outletvent 56.

Refrigerant It is likewise knownthe vapor point of the water. I do thisby providing an emulsion of oil and water in which the oil is insuspension in the water not to exceed 5 percent and preferably betweenone-half of one percent and one percent of the total volume of thewater. This is sufficient to reduce the freezing point of the water and,at the same time, the oil being in suspension in the water as anemulsion the oil does not spread as a film over the surface of the waterand increase its evaporation point. By this means I eliminate one of theprincipal objections to water refrigeration.

Oil nozzle The oil issuing from the nozzle while composed of minutedrops traveling at high velocity appears to be upon observation a vaporand in duce a region of very low pressure into which the water vapor isdrawn. 'I'he Venturi tube then gradually enlarges increasing thepressure of the fluid column on account of the decreasing velocity andthis increase of pressure compresses the water vapor. By such a type ofinstallation lt is possible to eliminate the vacuum pump en tirely whendesired. The angle of this enlarging tube is sulciently small tomaintain contact as the fluid is passed outwardly: preferably thecombined angle of the two sides should not be over four degrees.

It will be understood that the use of the term oil is illustrative andthat I desire to comprehend within my invention the use of other non-.water miscible uids and that I desire to comprehend within my inventionsuch modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying con.`ditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent,is: A

1. In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying oil and water, and removingwater vapor from said emulsion. 4

2; In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying oil and water, sprayingsaid oil and water emulsion into a container and removing by ejectionwater `vapor therefrom.

3. In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying a small proportionof oil ofapproximately 1 to 5 percent of oil with water, spraying the emulsioninto a container, moving the emulsion over an extended surface andejecting water vapor and air from said container..

4. In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying a small proportion of oilofapproximately 1 to 5 percent of `oil with water, spraying the emulsioninto a container, moving the emulsion over an extended surface andejecting water vapor and air from said container, and employing an oilspray for causing said ejection.

5. In a 4method of refrigeration, emulsifying oil and water to form arefrigerant, moving the refrigerant so as to present an extended surfacethereof, removing by ejection air and water vapor from said emulsiedrefrigerant, and effecting said ejection by a high pressure liquidspray.

HARRY A. TOULMIN, Jn.

